Displaying items by tag: Waste Heat Recovery

Vietnam: The World Bank is expected to provide US$200m in loans for Vietnamese cement plants to invest in waste heat recovery (WHR) systems according to the Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA). The VNCA said the financing pledge is part of the bank's programme to finance efficient energy consumption for the local cement industry.

At present only Holcim and Ha Tien 2 in southern Vietnam, and Chinfon and Cong Thanh in northern Vietnam have invested in WHR systems. In April 2014 the VNCA admitted that there had been a delay to build WHR systems in all cement plants with a clinker production capacity of 2500t/day by 2015.

Pakistan: Kohat Cement has posted a net profit of US$6.63m in the quarter that ended on 30 September 2014, up by 11% year-on-year compared to US$5.98m during the corresponding period of the previous year. The company attributed the results to better income on cash placements and lower financial charges.

During the first quarter of the 2015 financial year, sales revenues increased by 11% to US$28.1m amid higher cement prices and a slight increase in volumetric sales, which were up by 5% year-on-year. However, Kohat Cement's reduced gross margins restricted earnings growth. The gross margins in the first quarter of 2015 were recorded at 35.5% against 38% in 2014, down by 250%. The decline in gross margins was caused due to the increase in electricity prices by more than 50%.

The quarterly statement also revealed that the company is in the process of installing a 15MW waste heat recovery (WHR) power plant, which is expected to reduce production costs. The plant, which will meet 30% of Kohat Cement's energy requirements, is expected to come online by the end of the 2015 financial year. The project will cost US$19.4m, 80% of which will be financed through debts.

Dominican Republic: Cemex is carrying out investments of US$22.8m in the Dominican Republic. They include US$18.4m of improvements to its San Pedro de Macoris cement plant and US$4.35m for various activities to strengthen the business. Among the investments will be a waste heat recovery (WHR) system to generate 7MW of electricity, improvements in the calcination system to cut Cemex's carbon footprint, purchases of equipment to increase bagging efficiency by 30% and more trucks to make its concrete mixer fleet the largest of its Caribbean operations at 110 units. Cemex is also involved in housing projects to ease the country's shortage.

Turkey: Göltaş Goller Bolgesi Cimento has contracted Chinese company Catic Beijing Co to set up a waste heat recovery power plant for a cost of Euro14m. The plant is expected to be installed in two years and should reduce electricity costs by 25% when operational, according to Göltaş. The company's integrated cement plant is located in Turkey's southwestern province of Isparta

Turkey: Bursa Çimento Fabrikası has started the commercial operation of its 7.5MW waste heat recovery system. The Euro14.3m system was put into operation following a successful test operation, according to Bursa Çimento. The plant can generate some 50MkWh of electricity from waste heat and save some 28,000t/yr of carbon dioxide emissions.

Vietnam: Larger cement producers in Vietnam have failed to build government mandated waste heat recovery (WHR) systems. Under Vietnam's cement industry development plan until 2020 with a vision towards 2030, all cement plants with a clinker production capacity of 2500t/day or above have to implement a WHR system to save at least 20% of their electricity consumption by 2015. However, local media has reported that only Holcim and Ha Tien 2 have invested in the technology. Other cement producers have been prevented from investing in their plants by high debt and poor local demand for cement.

Nguyen Quang Cung, chairman of the Vietnam Cement Association admitted to the delayed investment in the WHR systems. "However, there won't be an extension. The cement makers will be forced to implement this on time," said Quang Cung.

Nguyen Cong Minh Bao, director of Sustainable Development of Holcim Vietnam, which invested US$18m in a WHR system in 2012, said that Vietnam should not extend the deadline. According to Bao 60% of Chinese firms apply the system in China and WHR is an intrinsic component of any new project.

Holcim Vietnam's WHR system has an output capacity of 44MkWh/yr. It will be enough to serve the firm's Hon Chong Cement Factory for 88 days of operation, meaning Holcim Vietnam will save 9000t of coal and reduce 25,300t of CO₂ per year.

Vietnam's cement sector is considered as one of the country's most energy-intensive industries. Under the third draft of the retail pricing scheme conducted by the state-run Electricity of Vietnam in 2013, steel and cement producers using power voltages of 110kV or higher during peak hour would pay 10% than the asking price for their normal power. Overall, the draft would dish out a power tariff hike of 2 - 16% to steel and cement producers.

South Africa: The South African Mamba Cement project, jointly funded by China's Jidong Development Group, the China-Africa Development Fund and a South African cement company, inked a deal regarding financing on 20 November 2013.

The project, with an investment of US$220m, is situated in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The capital fund of the project is US$100m, 51% of which is held by Chinese shareholders.

Unlike traditional overseas investment financing, Mamba received US$120m through project financing, which is based on the projected cash flow of the project rather than the balance sheets of its sponsors. This marked China's first successful investment through project financing in Africa. The loans are jointly provided by Nedbank South Africa and Bank of China's Johannesburg office.

Chen Ying, vice-president of China's Jidong Development Group, said that the success of the financing deal meant the South African bank's accreditation to Chinese companies. "Project financing offers Chinese companies a new way to make overseas investments," stated Ying.

The project includes a new cement clinker production line with an output of 1Mt/yr, a waste heat recovery (WHR) system with a generating capacity of 26.8MKW/hr and other supporting facilities. The electricity generation system together with the cement plant makes Mamba the first cement company in possession of WHR technology on the African continent.

Indonesia: JFE Engineering Corporation has started work on a 28MW waste heat recovery (WHR) project for PT Semen Indonesia, the leading state-owned cement company in Indonesia. The WHR project will be designed and manufactured by the Japanese engineering firm with installation by local contractors at the Tuban cement plant in West Java. Commissioned of the plant is scheduled for the end of 2014.

The Semen Indonesia project is the second WHR build JFE Engineering has undertaken in Indonesia following a previous project for Semen Padang. This project is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by 130,000t at full load operation. Further collaboration between JFE Engineering and Semen Indonesia, following a strategic agreement signed on 23 October 2013, will see coordination between the companies on WHR projects and waste management in Indonesia and Vietnam.

The project from JFE Engineering is part of a feasibility study of the Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM) by the Ministry of Environment of Japan (MOEJ), to offset Japan's emissions targets through low carbon projects overseas. Once awarded accreditation on the scheme, the project will be supported by a subsidy from the MOEJ.

India: Reliance Cement has said that it will commission its US$485m cement plant in Madhya Pradesh in October 2013. The company is due to complete the project in 22 months, five months ahead of its original schedule. The 5Mt/yr cement plant includes a 10MW waste heat recovery system. The plant is intended to target markets in central, eastern and northern India.

The Madhya Pradesh plant follows the company's 0.5Mt/yr cement plant in Butibori, Maharashtra that was launched in 2012.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement plans to invest US$12m to install waste heat recovery (WHR) systems at two of its cement plants. The company has decided to build WHR technology at its Tochigi plant and to a plant in Aomori Prefecture operated by a subsidiary. Previously Sumitomo Osaka installed WHR systems at its Ako plant in Hyogo Prefecture and at its Kochi Precture plant.